"I am a woman, not a womb!": Protest against Huge anti-abortion March in SF!

by Felix Barrett
Monday Jan 25th, 2010 1:57 PM

What's wrong with this picture: Tens of thousands of religious people are being mobilized to attack one of the basic rights of women the right to abortion. Prior to the legalization of abortion thousands of women died from illegal back alley abortions. Others were forced into loveless marriages to be able to pay the costs needed to raise a baby or saw their bright hopes for the future snuffed out, forced to leave college or a career. Their agenda also includes attacks on gay people, and an overall attempt to role back any advances made by the women's movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

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In their face a few hundred counter protesters bravely marched and shouted in the face of these anti-abortion fanatics. A few attempted to do a civil disobedience action unfurling a large banner in the midst of the anti-abortion forces but were quickly vamped on by the police.

This is a situation that needs to be radically transformed. The mainstream women's movement has sat by and done NOTHING while the right and ability of women to have abortion is further restricted. One house of Congress passed health care “reform” including the Stupak-Pitts Amendment which extends the federal ban on abortion to millions more women. Even women paying for private insurance plans with their own money will not be able to buy abortion coverage.In many parts of the country it is all but impossible to get an abortion. Courageous abortion providers like Dr. Tiller are being MURDERED!

Why should anti-abortion fanatics be allowed to set the terms for women’s lives?

Theocrats who believe they are on a mission from God, advocate the subjugation of women, and think gay people should burn in hell, don’t back down without a fight.

We need to set our own terms with much more widespread resistance and visible protest.

brave protesters tried to unfurl a banner in the march. The cops immediately grabbed the banner a violently pushed protesters out of the march. People on the sidewalk (pro-choice counter protesters) shouted "let them go"